My Girlfriend is a Death Row Inmate - Chapter 14: Shizuku's eyes

Chapter 14: Shizuku’s eyes

I appreciate the offer of a ride home, but if she’s this sensitive to Shizuku’s presence, I’m sure she’d find out the moment she comes up to my house. It’s funny that I’m afraid of an ally of order, but I’m a bad guy who supported a death row inmate. What’s wrong with being afraid of justice?

“By the way, what does it mean to put blood on the target of murder…… ?”

“There are two kinds of people she kills. Those she doesn’t like, and those she likes. The former are murdered without question, but the latter are not so easily killed. She’s like a con artist. She is very kind at first. If a person she likes is in some kind of danger, she will even help you. But do not be fooled. She just wants to kill you with her own hands.”

“…… For what?”

“Shizuku Nanagi likes to see people’s faces of despair. That’s why the first thing she does is to take advantage of them with kindness. People who are a bit broken up for one reason or another are her perfect prey. She waits until her prey is at its most desperate. In other words… people who never thought they would be killed. This is hypothetical, but no normal person would think of being suddenly stabbed by their own parents. Shizuku Nanagi kills as soon as she becomes irreplaceable to the person she is killing. It is the face of that moment that she prefers.”

As a person who’s in a position of hiding Shizuku, I couldn’t trust Kusune’s story, but sadly, Kusune probably has a better relationship with Shizuku than I do. The reason was that Shizuku knew her real name. No one would think that Kusune was a pseudonym, so it was safe to say that they have known each other for a long time.

She didn’t notice that I was getting paler and paler as I went on. I didn’t want to believe it, but what if that was her way? What if she was putting herself in a pseudo-submissive relationship with her slave and master thing, making me dependent and suspicious of everything but her?

I want to believe in Shizuku, too. I want to believe her, or at least I think I do. But the undeniable fact was that she was on death row. She could lie and kill with impunity. I couldn’t say “Shizuku would never do such a thing.” I heard that Kusune couldn’t be manipulated, so if I told her what’s going on here and now, I’d be released from this pain. I might even be described as a hero.

　—However.

I don’t want to betray her, even if she is on death row. I would rather be betrayed than be the one to betray the other person. I want to be a kind person at least from my point of view, no matter if I’m declared a liar or called a criminal.

“…I must have made quite an impression, huh? Did I do something to earn her favor?”

“If you have no idea, then only Shizuku knows. I don’t want her to commit any more murders. So I’m going to pick you up every day from now on.”

“Huh? Pick me up?

“Yes. I will pick you up in front of your house every morning. That way, at least you won’t be killed. What do you think?”

Kusune looked at me with clear eyes. There is only one answer to that question. Strike out, big time. One out, three strikes. I’m not sure what she’s talking about. I can’t say it now, but I don’t know much about the rules of baseball. Refusing an invitation from a somewhat famous person—especially from a girl—makes you less of a man. I mean, Kusune was considered a hero regardless of her gender, and I’m sure all of my classmates would welcome her with open arms.

I almost jumped out of my skin in surprise, but I didn’t because of Kusune’s arms around me. When I tried to distance myself from her, I felt my strength leave me. It was as if she was changing the flow of power.

“U-Uhm. There’s n-no need; it’s not easy for you either! You’re coming to pick me up every day, …… you’ll be completely misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood? I can’t trade it for your life.”

“That’s true, but it’s still difficult, isn’t it?”

“Assuming we can catch Shizuku Nanagi, it’s a very small amount of work.”

Kusune suddenly stepped in front of me.

“Then, Sakisaka-kun, are you willing to die?”

The way you asked that question was cunning. Where in the world would a person answer that he or she would be willing to die? Unless you are as mentally ill as a suicidal person, you would not say “yes” by mistake. Her eyes, which did not reflect the scenery, seemed to express this question. There is no way out.

“No. I don’t want to.”

“I’m sure you don’t want to do that. Don’t worry, I will protect you, Sakisaka-kun. I will not let you be killed.”

I once said she was an “emotionless robot,” but I take that back. She is too assertive …… to be called that, or too intimidatingly devoted. Kusune Rinbara is a human being. It’s just that her emotional expression is a little strange.

As I was wondering how I had managed to convince her to go home, Kusune suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, facing the station. It was noisy. I could see two or three police cars. My eyesight is limited, so I can only make out a few of them, but I can’t help but wonder if these wild gunfire sounds are …… gunshots!　

In this country, guns are seen as a last resort. Even though the security situation is not this bad even in other gun-rich countries, my town’s progress has quickly reached its final stage.

“…… Ah, this is it.”

“Does that ring a bell?”

“Yes. This is an act of provocation by Shizuku. I knew this would happen. I advised her, but she didn’t listen to me. …… But now my words are getting through. I guess I should say it’s a blessing in disguise.”

The story is progressing on its own so I had no idea what she was talking about. I raised my voice as I followed Kusune, who rushed forward without hesitation.

“Hey, hey, don’t just convince yourself! What were you talking about earlier?”

“In order to secure Shizuku, the investigation team must erase their names from the police register. Otherwise, at some point, their names will be known and they will be manipulated. I couldn’t get them to listen to me because they thought it was ridiculous, but look at what happened.”

I wonder if she’s taking me into consideration as she didn’t do parkour. Soon I could see exactly what was going on. There were a couple of policemen with guns in their hands, and for some reason they were doing a comedy act.

“I told him, ‘Hey Johnny, Paris is amazing, right?’ And you know what he said?”

“Whoa there, planning to throw out an American joke? This is Japan, man, how about telling a Japanese joke instead?”

“Who are you talking to, you punk!”

Firing three live rounds into the sky, the crowd gathered around them seemed more like spectators than mere onlookers, sometimes directing cameras and sometimes microphones towards the pair, who were deemed rather dangerous to be called jesters. Among them, Kusune was the only one taking the situation seriously.

“…An interview, huh?”

“…So, our names got out, huh?”

“Exactly. Under these circumstances, it can’t be helped. Sakisaka-san, I apologize sincerely, but could you please make your way home alone?”

Once again, it was a sudden request, but this time it suited me just fine. Without any confusion, I complied and started my journey home alone. I didn’t ask why this time. Although there was no basis for it, I somehow felt like I could guess the punchline of that comedy routine. Just imagining it made me uncomfortable, so I covered my ears and started running.

“Thank you very much! So, what do you think? Was it interesting?”

“…… It wasn’t funny.”

“Nobody’s laughing.”

“We’re not very good at this, are we?”

“So I guess we’re off then.”

“Yeah.”

Thud!

An uneventful journey home.

No one attacked me, nor did I fall down. And yet, I’m strangely out of breath.

“I’m home!”

Mhm, my sister’s listless reply came back to me. I took off my shoes in a panic and went to my room. I was a little angry at her for doing such a stupid thing as showing her presence while asking me to hide her. A little …… No, not a little. Technically, I was extremely angry. But I was more terrified than that, so the anger on my face seemed smaller.

“S-Shizuku! W-what are you doing?”

“What am I doing? That’s my line.”

Her eyes, peeking out from under the covers like a mole’s, were glaring at me with a quiet anger burning in them—I was delusional. She was not glaring at me. All I can say for sure is that I’m scared.

“How gullible you are. I’ve been watching you from the sidelines, and I’d say you’re either bold or stupid. Why do you keep approaching her?”

“I mean, you marked me with blood, so she must have sniffed it out. ……”

She gestured with her hand, interrupting my words. Her mysterious powers weren’t working, but my instincts were warning me not to go against them. I approached with heavy steps as if I were climbing the stairs to the gallows, and in the blink of an eye, my upper body was under the covers.

“I’m telling you that’s not true. Just because I’m on death row doesn’t mean you can lie to me, okay?”

“Muggghh…… muggghh!”

(e/n: muffled sounds)

“No, I need to punish you for being such a lax husband that easily gets attached to just anyone. Why don’t you bury yourself in my chest for a while and reflect on yourself? Well, first of all, she’s a huge liar. She’s on a different level than someone who is known to be a liar because of a small mistake.Kusune Rinbara would do anything to corner me. I was the one who was marking you? How can I do that? If anything, she’s the one doing the markings.”

“Mugyu?”

(e/n: still muffled sounds)

“I can smell iron on you. You’ve already caught her attention, I must say. I don’t mean to be mean, but you’re being too careless. We have to be on our guard.”

“Mmm-hmm. ……”

“Well, what’s done is done. I’m not going to get angry about it. But what’s with that sense of distance? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, but you just stood there grinning. You have me as a slave, but you still show such an attitude?”

“Gufun! Fufufufu~fufufu!”

(e/n: dude is suffocating rip)

“You can fondle my breasts as much as you want, and if you feel like it, I can give you my virginity. Of course, you don’t have to hold back with a death row inmate, and you don’t have to use contraception. Do you know why I’m saying this all of a sudden?　Because I thought I’d share with you the most effective solution. …… I often hear her talk about how she acts like she’s on the side of justice, but in reality she’s just a bastard, not so different in nature from me. She will try to entrap you by any means necessary. And looking at you today, you don’t seem to have the strength to resist…so hey, just look at me.”

Finally, the upper half of my body was released. My face was burning from the suffocation. Was it really just suffocation, though?

“W-what are you talking about? I-I don’t think that’s a good idea!”

“You are being dishonest with your body.”

“Please call me rational!”

I’d rather you not stare too intently at my lower half. I’m a man too, so I can’t help it. It’s not like it’s going to be boring or exciting. Even if I was asked out in such a direct and direct manner, I would still end up like this. Even if I had a habit of lying, my body was really honest.

Shizuku slowly shimmered out of the futon. The first time I saw her, she was in a straitjacket, but now she’s completely in my casual clothes. I’ve gotten used to seeing them.

“――Then, let’s do this. Let’s go on a date this weekend.”

“A d-date?”

What came before the joy was astonishment. Where was she going to go dressed like that? In jail or in prison? Shizuku, noticing my gaze, looked down at her own body.

“I’ll take care of my clothes. So, what do you think? On the weekends, we’d go on dates all day from morning till night. I won’t force you, just you.”

“–No, no, no, no. It’s dangerous to go on a date. Kusune is also there, right? No matter what disguise you put on, the risk of being noticed is too high. I’m glad you’re doing this for me. But if you consider the risks ahead…”

“I want to go on a hand-holding date.”

“Let’s go!”

Where has my reason gone?